Grand National-winning trainer Oliver Sherwood to end near 40-year career and become assistant to Harry Derham

Oliver Sherwood is to bring his near 40-year training career to a close and will take on the role of assistant to Harry Derham after Lambourn's Grand National-winning stalwart concluded his business is no longer sustainable.

Sherwood, who famously sent out Many Clouds to win the Aintree spectacular for Trevor Hemmings eight years ago, will run a small number of horses through the summer before closing the book on a marathon training stretch that yielded victories in a host of major races, including six at the Cheltenham Festival.

Speaking to the Racing Post, the 68-year-old also referenced the recent death of close friend Richard Aston as a factor in his decision to stop training. Sherwood was informed last April that after six bouts of chemotherapy he was free of cancer, the disease that claimed leading breeder and consignor Aston.

As well as Many Clouds – who also won the Hennessy Gold Cup and two runnings of Cheltenham's Cotswold Chase, after the second of which he tragically collapsed and died – Sherwood's other jumps stars included Large Action, Coulton and Cenkos, while Rebel Song and The West Awake landed the Sun Alliance Novices' Hurdle and Sun Alliance Chase on the same day at Cheltenham in 1988.

"In modern jump racing it's all about numbers," said Sherwood. "At the end of last season we had 30 to 35 horses, which sadly isn't enough, and I've had no orders to buy horses, so there was nothing to replace the ones we were selling. The sums weren't adding up, end of story, so we've had to be sensible.

Oliver Sherwood with his Grand National winner Many CloudsCredit: John Grossick

"When I took over from Nicky Henderson as Fred Winter's assistant, Fred was champion trainer with 50 horses. Nowadays that would represent a middle-size yard. New owners coming into the game also tend to go towards the young brigade of trainers unless you're Nicky Henderson, Paul Nicholls or Willie Mullins.

"If someone sent me 100 horses tomorrow I would carry on, but you have to start another chapter at some stage of your life, and that's what I'm doing."

Sherwood and wife Tarnya are already looking forward to visiting their son Archie in New Zealand as part of a revised attitude that has been influenced by the loss of Goldford Stud co-owner Aston.

"Never when I was ill did I think I was going to die but what happened to Richard frightened the life out of me," said Sherwood.

"He was diagnosed towards the end of February and died two months later. We could see he didn't look right when we stayed with Richard and his wife Sally the night before the National weights lunch. I told him if he didn't go to see someone, we wouldn't stay with them for Aintree, as we had for 30 years. He did see someone but it was all too late. That was horrendous."

Sherwood added: "I'm going to be 70 in 18 months' time. I don't want my life to go by without me having done anything apart from training horses, much as I love it. However, I couldn't just do nothing, which is why I'm going to work for Harry Derham as his assistant. We get on very well, he's a good guy and hungry for success."

Sherwood will become assistant to trainer Harry Derham (pictured)Credit: Mark Cranham

Derham, soon poised to move from a temporary base in Lambourn to his new purpose-built yard in Boxford, near Newbury, spoke with Sherwood's team members on Saturday. Sherwood, who hopes his staff and owners will move with him to join Derham, is leaving a vacancy at the Charlie Mann-owned 50-box Neardown Stables, to which he relocated in the spring of 2021 having previously spent 37 years only half a mile away at Rhonehurst.

"The greatest thing about being a trainer has been working with horses – and I'll still be doing that with Harry," said Sherwood, who described his wife, family, staff and owners as "complete rocks" through his illness and now the decision to relinquish his licence.

"Up to a point, anybody can train horses," he added. "The fascination comes from trying to get inside their heads. They are all individuals with their own little quirks and idiosyncrasies.

"I really have been very spoiled over the years, but Clouds winning the National would undoubtedly be the highlight. I've trained some good horses and had some fantastic days. I'll be able to look back on it all with pride."

OLIVER SHERWOOD CV

Full name Oliver Martin Carwardine Sherwood

Born Chelmsford, Essex, March 23, 1955

Family Father: Nat Sherwood (Essex landowner; owner of Venture To Cognac). Brother: Simon Sherwood (rider of Desert Orchid, MD & clerk of the course at Ludlow). Wives: Denise, daughter of Fred Winter; Tarnya Davis, ex-wife of Paul Nicholls. Children: 4

First winner as rider Jack's The Buoy (trainer Arthur Moore) bumper, Mallow, December 11, 1976

Cheltenham Festival winners as rider Venture To Cognac (1979 Sun Alliance Novices' Hurdle, 1984 Foxhunters' Chase), Rolls Rambler (1980 Foxhunters' Chase)

Other big-race winners as rider Chumson (1979 Peterborough Chase), Rolls Rambler (1980 Aintree Foxhunters' Chase, Horse and Hound Cup), News King (1981 L'Oreal Hurdle), Baron Blakeney (1984 Cystic Fibrosis (Mildmay) Novices' Chase)

Champion amateur rider 1979-80 (29 wins)

Assistant to Arthur Moore 1975-78, Fred Winter 1978-84

Stables as trainer Rhonehurst, Upper Lambourn 1984-2021; Neardown Stables, Upper Lambourn from 2021

First winner as trainer The Breener, Newbury, November 14, 1984

First big-race winner as trainer The Breener (1984 Challow Hurdle)

Grand National winner Many Clouds (2015)

Hennessy Gold Cup winners Arctic Call (1990), Many Clouds (2014)

BetBright Cup/Cotswold Chase winner Many Clouds (2015 & 2017)

Tingle Creek Chase winner Young Snugfit (1990)

Aintree Chase winner Coulton (1995)

Cheltenham Festival winners The West Awake (1987 Sun Alliance Novices' Hurdle, 1988 Sun Alliance Novices' Chase), Rebel Song (1988 Sun Alliance Novices' Hurdle), Aldino (1991 Grand Annual Chase), Young Pokey (1992 Arkle Chase), Coulton (1995 Cathcart Chase)

Hatton's Grace Hurdle winner Large Action (1996)

Bula Hurdle winners Cruising Altitude (1989), Large Action (1994 & 1996)

Tote Gold Trophy winner Large Action (1994)

Scottish Champion Hurdle winner Aldino (1989)

Champion Novice Hurdle winner (Punchestown) Young Pokey (1991)

Other Grade 1 winners Change The Act (1991 Tolworth Hurdle), Tildarg (1991 Scilly Isles Novices' Chase), Large Action (1994 Challow Hurdle, 1997 Cleeve Hurdle), Berude Not To (1994 Challow Hurdle), Silver Wedge (1995 Long Walk Hurdle), Lord Of The River (1998 Feltham Novices' Chase), Cenkos (2000 Maghull Novices' Chase)

Other big-race winners Aldino (1987 Glenlivet (Anniversary) Hurdle, 1989 Oteley Hurdle, 1990 New Year's Day Hurdle), The West Awake (1987 Champagne Mumm (Mersey) Novices' Hurdle), Faraway Lad (1988 Top Novices' Hurdle), Cruising Altitude (1989 Gerry Feilden Hurdle), Dwadme (1990 White Satin (Sefton) Novices' Hurdle), Large Action (1994 Gerry Feilden Hurdle, 1995 Ascot Hurdle), Coulton (1995 Silver Trophy Chase, 1995 & 1996 Desert Orchid Pattern Chase), Manorson (2005 Gerry Feilden Hurdle), Rayvin Black (2016 Kingwell Hurdle)

Placed in Champion Hurdle Large Action (2nd in 1995, 3rd in 1994)

Grand National favourites Sacred Path (unseated rider 1988), Many Clouds (joint-favourite, last of 16 finishers 2016)

Official champion chaser Many Clouds (top-rated 3m chaser in Anglo-Irish Jumps Classifications 2016-17)

Highest-rated chaser Many Clouds (RPR 174 in 2017 Cotswold Chase)

Highest-rated hurdler Large Action (RPR 167 twice when placed in Champion Hurdle)

1,000th win as trainer Financial Climate, Chepstow, February 11, 2015

Highest position in trainers' championship 6th in 1990-91 & 1994-95

Cheltenham Festival wins as trainer 6 (1987-95)

Most wins in a season 58 in 1989-90

Total wins as trainer 1,199 to start of 2023-24 (1,186 over jumps in Britain, 2 in Ireland, 11 on Flat)

Compiled by John Randall

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